Explorers using the very cutting edge of technology is the story of humans through the ages. One endeavor, however, is to explore the limits of fuel-free flight. In this case, Bertrand Piccard, a Swiss Psychiatrist and Balloonist, and André Borschberg, a Swiss businessman and pilot, both are flying the Solar Impulse 2 around the world. As of this writing, they have only to complete their last segment from Egypt to Abu Dhabi. These images, though, were made after receiving their newsletter email announcement less than 24 hours from their departure from Phoenix, AZ. I was, at the time I received and read the email, which specified their departure at 3 AM that same night from Phoenix, travelling from the Price, UT area. I was photographing coal mines and power plants, and driving to the Red Hills Renewables Park to my next shoot.

How often do you get the chance to photograph a solar plane flying around the world? I decided the through-the-night hundreds of miles side-trip was worth it. Stopping for the sunset at the Navajo Generating Station and Glen Canyon Dam, I arrived at the airport at midnight in time to miss the speeches, but watch the plane taxi and take off.

The plane is unlike any other I've witnessed. I estimated based on it's previous flight from the Bay Area to Phoenix that it would fly at about 45 MPH. Boy was I wrong. Though I didn't have a radar gun to properly check, it seemed like it was flying at about 10 MPH, incredibly slow, and almost completely silent.